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American Morning

Bush Holds Another Open House at White House for Democratic Leadership; Democrats Prepare to Assume Chairmanship of Power Committees on Capitol Hill

Aired November 10, 2006 - 07:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Democrats claim it's complete. Virginia in the blue column. Democrats take the Senate 51-49. President Bush will meet with the incoming Senate leadership this morning as well -- Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: President Bush and the newly empowered Democrats are all smiles and gracious talk for the cameras. Is the honeymoon for real, and is there a prenup? Kathleen Koch is at the White House and Andrea Koppel on Capitol Hill.

Let's start with Kathleen, good morning.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning, Miles. Well, yes, less than a week ago they were calling each other names. Now they're all smiles saying let's let bygones be bygones. Certainly that is easier to say than to do, in particular when it comes to dealing with tough issues, the war in Iraq, balancing civil liberties, with the fight in the war on terror.

President Bush, this morning, does welcome, as you mention, the top Senate Democrats, incoming Democrats, incoming Senate leaders to the White House for lunch. Senators Harry Reid and Dick Durbin will be joining the president, shortly after 11:30 this morning, for a peace- making session. Very much like the one the president had yesterday, midday, with the incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The elections are now behind us, and the congresswoman's party won, but the challenges still remain.

And therefore we're going to work together to address those challenges in a constructive way. We won't agree on every issue, but we do agree we love America equally, that we're concerned about the future of this country, and we will do our very best to address big problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now, we're expecting some more remarks when the president does meet this morning with Senators Reid and Durbin. Interestingly, Reid yesterday offered a backhanded pledge of cooperation at a victory celebration. Democrats celebrating their takeover of the Senate from Republicans. Senator Reid saying, quote, "They have set a very bad example of not working with us. We're not going to follow that example."

Back to you, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Backhanded, indeed. Let's talk about the president's decision to try to reinstigate that nomination of John Bolton. Or get that nomination going, back again. He's in there temporarily as the ambassador of the United Nations. That did not go very far, did it?

KOCH: No, and that was in August of 2005 that the president made that recess appointment, because Bolton's nomination was widely opposed by Democrats and even some Republicans. Now, the president has put that nomination out there again. Certainly a signal that he's not going to roll over and play dead simply because the Democrats have taken over control of Congress.

But Democrats coming in as the leadership, Senator Joe Biden, in particular, who will be head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, they say this is really a non-starter. Biden saying he sees no point in considering Bolton's nomination again. Saying Bolton is, quote, "going nowhere." Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Kathleen Koch, at the White House. Thank you.

Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Democrats do have a lot to celebrate now that they're in charge. To break down who is going to get what in the Senate committee chair game, let's turn right to Andrea Koppel.

Good morning, Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning, Soledad.

There are about 20 committees out there. For the last four years they've been in Republican hands.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL (voice over): Democrats in the White House have been at odds for years.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D-MI): I don't think the president has come to grips with reality.

SEN. ROBERT BYRD, (D-WV): I believe that that record is dismal.

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY, (D-VT): The president has acted as a divider, not a uniter.

KOPPEL: But come January, Democrats can do more than just criticize. With a majority in the Senate, they'll chair all committees and control the agenda. That puts the gavel back into the hands of senior Democrats like Joe Biden, who will be at the helm of Senate Foreign Relations. That doesn't bode well for John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, whose nomination was opposed by Biden and Senate Democrats last year.

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN, (D-DE): Your boss, the president, and the vice president, I don't think they -- in this, quote, "year of diplomacy" really think diplomacy is all that consequential.

KOPPEL: Today the White House resubmitted Bolton's nomination to the Senate. Biden's response, "John Bolton's going nowhere."

Iraq will top the agenda of Senator Carl Levin, poised to lead the Senate Armed Services Committee.

LEVIN: Good morning.

We've got to begin a phased reduction in American forces by the end of this year.

KOPPEL: While Vermont's Patrick Leahy, who will chair the Judicial Committee, has blamed the Bush White House for nominating judges who are too conservative and out of the mainstream.

LEAHY: Many see this as a conservative and partisan effort to pack the courts and tilt them sharply out of balance.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Now, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, a senior Democratic leadership aide tells CNN, that that post, despite grumblings from some Democrats, is going to go to the newly re-elected senator from Connecticut, Joseph Lieberman -- who is, as you well know, Soledad, an Independent.

S. O'BRIEN: He's an Independent now. How about the House Appropriations Committee? Whoever runs that is hugely powerful. Who is going to get that?

KOPPEL: Absolutely. That person controls quite literally the purse strings of the Senate, and that's going to go to, no surprise, the most senior member of the Senate, West Virginia's Senator Byrd.

S. O'BRIEN: Interesting there. All right. Andrea Koppel, for us this morning on Capitol Hill. Thanks, Andrea.

KOPPEL: Sure.

Let's turn to Iraq now. A new estimate to tell you about this morning, about the violence there. The Associated Press is quoting a new survey, from the Iraqi health ministry, says that 150,000 -- 150,000 civilians have died over the past three years. Let's turn to CNN's Arwa Damon in Baghdad for us.

Good morning, Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning, Soledad.

It is actually quite rare that the ministry of health, that the Iraqi government, releases such a figure of 150,000 civilian casualties here. Over the years it's been increasingly difficult to get estimates from the hospital, the morgue, and from the government itself, on how many civilians have died in Iraq.

We've heard numbers that range from 50,000 all the way up to over 600,000 civilians killed here since this war began. And the challenges in actually trying to pinpoint what that number specifically is are countless. Oftentimes when we're reporting on these stories, when there are reports of a car bomb or any other number of attacks, we receive differing information from the Iraqi police, from hospital officials, from government agencies.

In fact, many of the government agencies tracking the civilian casualties function at a very low level of efficiency here. But also, what we do know is that there are a number of incidents that happen that go unreported, deaths that go unreported. It is very likely that the true cost of this war will only become apparent once the fighting has all ended, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: So, where are they getting this number of 150,000 from? It sounds like what you're saying, is that everybody has their own number. How realistic do people think this number is?

DAMON: Well, it's hard to tell. Oftentimes when we have these new numbers that come out, we speak with the Iraqis about them. Some of them think the numbers should be a lot higher. Some of them actually believe it should be a lot lower and are surprised when they hear such a high number.

In this case, according to what the Associated Press was reporting, this number is based on an estimate of 100 to 150 Iraqis killed in Iraq every single day. But again, that number is largely based on the attacks that happen all over Iraq and then on the Baghdad morgue's count of bodies that they're receiving on a day-to-day basis. It's not quite encompassing all of the morgue's throughout the country. Again, it is just an estimate at this point.

S. O'BRIEN: Arwa Damon in Baghdad for us this morning. Thank you.

M. O'BRIEN: Happening this morning, you better check your medicine cabinet. A big recall of store brand acetaminophen; 11 million bottles of the pain reliever being recalled because they may contain metal fragments. The pills were sold under store brands by more than 120 major retailers, including Wal-Mart and CVS.

In Britain they're bracing for terror attacks that could involve chemical and nuclear devices. The head of MI5, the U.K.'s intelligence agency, says at least 30 major attacks could be in the works. They're tracking 1600 suspects, they say.

In Mexico City, lawmakers approve same-sex civil unions, the law stopping short of allowing full marriage or adopting children. But it does mean same-sex unions would be legal in the city of 8 million by early next year. Mexico's the world's second largest Roman Catholic nation. And another victory for gay rights activists. This one in Massachusetts, lawmakers voted to delay a decision on whether to back a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages. That means it's likely the proposed amendment will die. Massachusetts is the only U.S. state where same-sex marriage is legal -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: This morning, a violent arrest to tell you about in Los Angeles. It was caught on tape. Now it's an investigation by the FBI.

Plus, the road to redemption for the former evangelical leader Ted Haggard. We'll tell you more on what he faces in his spiritual restoration. Straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Top stories we're looking at for you. Floodwaters still ravaging the Pacific Northwest; shutting down more than 50 miles of roads in Washington State.

And another L.A. police beating caught on tape. The FBI is on the case. The amateur video shows two officers pinning a robbery suspect, one of them punching him repeatedly in the face.

It's about 11 past the hour. You're headed out the door. Stop, for just a moment. Chad Myers has some words for you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: He was a serious journalist. He was a jazz lover. He was always an elegant man. Legendary CBS newsman Ed Bradley earned the respect of generations in the news business. And, of course, millions of his fellow Americans as well.

Ed Bradley died on Thursday, after a long but very quiet battle with leukemia. He was 65 years old. And for more than 40 years Ed Bradley awed us with his ability and impressed us with both his style and his grace.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED BRADLEY: I'm Ed Bradley.

S. O'BRIEN (voice over): It has been said many times, about many people, but perhaps it's no more fitting than when it's said about Ed Bradley. There will never be anyone like him. He was everything journalists aspire to be: honest, fair, determined, compassionate and dogged in the pursuit of truth.

BRADLEY: I have questions I'd like to ask you about Emmit Till (ph). Won't you come out and talk to us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did I just tell you?

BRADLEY: Tell me again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

S. O'BRIEN: Born in 1941, Edward R. Bradley grew up in Philadelphia where he wanted to be a teacher -- and was, in fact, until the riots of the 1960s when Bradley picked up a microphone and started reporting for a local radio station.

He was signed by CBS radio in New York, and that began his astonishing 43-year relationship with the network. Bradley's dedication showed through in immeasurable ways during his coverage of the Vietnam War.

BRADLEY: People were moved from Vietcong areas.

S. O'BRIEN: While trekking through the jungle with American troops he was hit by a mortar round. But that didn't stop him from returning to Vietnam in 1975, where he not only reported on the fall of Saigon, but helped desperate refugees who were trying to flee the country.

In 1981 he began reporting for "60 Minutes." It was a move that allowed him to prove he was comfortable while interviewing celebrities.

BRADLEY: I read that you get $20 million a film now?

DENZEL WASHINGTON, ACTOR: I heard you make that kind of money, too.

(LAUGHTER)

S. O'BRIEN: Tenacious while interviewing terrorists.

BRADLEY: You realize that most of the people in this country think you're responsible for the bombing, correct?

TIMOTHY MCVEIGH: Correct.

BRADLEY: So, if your perception is that you didn't get a fair trial, they're saying so what.

S. O'BRIEN: Bradley was warm and funny when he talked to Ali.

(MAN SNORTING)

Stark and serious when he profiled a Texas oil refinery with safety problems back in October. It was his final story.

After 19 Emmys, and numerous other awards, his passing leaves his former colleagues looking for the right words to describe him.

DON HEWITT, FMR. EXEC. PRODUCER, "60 MINUTES": You know, the world is full of reporters who can get the story. There are very few reporters who go out of their way to make the world a better place, and Ed Bradley did that on almost every story he did.

DAN RATHER, FMR. ANCHOR, CBS EVENING NEWS: He had such a core sense of integrity, both personally, and professionally.

S. O'BRIEN: And there's something else, with Bradley's love of jazz and trademark earring, there's one more word which perfectly sums him up.

BOB SCHEIFFER, CBS NEWS ANCHOR: What I remember about Ed Bradley, he was the single coolest guy I ever knew.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Ed Bradley is survived by his wife, Patricia Blanchet, and as we said, millions of his fans and admirers. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Now more on the precipitous fall from grace for the pastor, Ted Haggard. In just a matter of days he went from a national evangelical leader, on a weekly conference call to the White House; a pastor to 14,000 people -- to admitting sexually immoral conduct with a male prostitute, drug use, as well, alleged, to leaving town.

And now we're learning more about his next step, three to five years of intense counseling, it's called spiritual restoration. CNN's Susan Candiotti explains what that is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING (voice over): For fallen evangelical Ted Haggard, the road to spiritual rehab won't be easy.

TONY CAMPOLO, BAPTIST MINISTER: To suggest that a few prayers and a few spiritual things, some scripture reading, is going to solve the problem, it won't.

CANDIOTTI: As Haggard goes through spiritual restoration, for what he called sexual immoral conduct, Haggard will have to face his demons working with a select group of advisers. A generally accepted four-step plan calls for him to submit to the authority of his counselors, admit his sins, make restitution and be humbled.

Reverend Jimmy Swaggart famously sobbed through a confession he had been with a prostitute, started spiritual restoration, but a few years later was caught with another prostitute. Tony Campolo was one of three ministers who counseled President Clinton after the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Campolo draws a parallel between Haggard and Clinton.

CAMPOLO: With Bill Clinton, he had a wife, in Hillary, who was pledged, committed to keep this marriage together, no matter what. He's got that kind of wife. That will help.

CANDIOTTI: Florida-based conservative evangelical Dr. James Kennedy broadcasts worldwide sermons weekly. He says the Reverend Haggard's ability to regain acceptance in his ministry could take years.

DR. JAMES KENNEDY, CORAL RIDGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: He must get back -- like their pastor, back into their church simply as a layman, simply as a member of the congregation, and demonstrate a godliness. And that when all of the people involved in the ministry, in the church, and everything, see that his life has certainly been tremendously changed, they would agree that he has been restored.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): What do you think the chances are of that happening in this case?

KENNEDY: I would say it's going to be an uphill climb.

CANDIOTTI (voice over): And Haggard's climb up the hill of spiritual rehab is just beginning. Susan Candiotti, CNN, Ft. Lauderdale.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk business news now. BP trying to make amends for that massive fire at a refinery last year. Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business" this morning.

Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning.

You remember this was last march. And it was an explosion at the refinery in Texas City, Texas; 15 people were killed, 170 wounded. All sorts of litigation ensued. And 1,000 lawsuits filed. BP put aside $1.6 billion and have now just settled the last outstanding lawsuit.

A young woman named Eva Rowe, 22 years old, who lost both of her parents in that fire, settled for an undisclosed amount. But she also has gotten the oil giant to give $32 million in donations to healthcare and safety education. BP will also continue to release documents concerning this tragedy.

A couple of interesting notes here. First of all, she said -- Eva Rowe, did -- she said, they killed my parents to save money. What she means by that is the U.S. Chemical and Hazard Investigation Board found that internal BP documents showed that the oil giant cut its budget by 25 percent from 1998 through 2000, which caused a deterioration of safety at that plant. That's some pretty serious stuff there.

And the other thing that's kind of really horrible here, quite frankly, from BP's perspective, they sent a note to the Rowe family addressed to her mother, apologizing for the death of the father.

M. O'BRIEN: Oh, boy. Oh, boy.

SERWER: The mother, of course, also died in the explosion. That was a big, big, big, big no-no.

S. O'BRIEN: Didn't seem very heartfelt.

SERWER: No. And you need to have a list of people, and they did not do that. So this is what happens. It's a very sad situation, but you hope that some good comes out of it with this kind of settlement.

M. O'BRIEN: Isn't one of the allegations that they were conducting a hazardous operation, they didn't clear people out of the area, as well.

SERWER: That's also the case. When you start to read about what really happened here in terms of these very, very dangerous and flammable chemicals being mixed together, and unsafe conditions, and this plant was cited many, many times.

You try to cut corners and you pay the ultimate price in terms of people's lives. And then just billions of dollars in terms of lawsuits and settlements.

M. O'BRIEN: And all this comes amid record profits for the oil companies.

SERWER: Well, they don't have as much money as they did previously. I guess you can say that. And BP obviously in trouble with the Alaska pipeline situation, as well.

S. O'BRIEN: They have a whole host of problems.

SERWER: They sure do.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: Thank you.

S. O'BRIEN: Coming up this morning, we're going to have much more on that huge recall of the generic over-the-counter painkillers. The manufacturers trying to explain how little pieces of metal have ended up in the tablets.

Plus, stars like Angelina Jolie, and others, have been trying to shine the spotlight on Africa. Now, the rest of Hollywood is catching up. We'll tell you what they're doing. That's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Caught on tape, another violent arrest by the LAPD. And now the FBI is stepping in.

S. O'BRIEN: Consumers on alert this morning. Millions of bottles of store brand acetaminophen is being recalled. We'll tell you what you can look for this morning.

M. O'BRIEN: And the unexpected cost of serving your country. The call of duty taking a toll on service members and their small businesses back home.

All that, and more, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

S. O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. Friday, November 10th. I'm Soledad O'Brien.

And I'm Miles O'Brien. We're glad you're with us.

Happening this morning, another day of bipartisan bread breaking at the White House. President Bush today lunching with the Senate majority leader-to-be Harry Reid. Reid, and soon-to-be House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, promising to work with the administration.

In Iraq, three more American service member deaths to report to you: 24 have been killed in the first nine days of November. That follows 105 deaths in October, which was the deadliest month in Iraq in two years.

A state of emergency in effect in 24 Washington State counties this morning. Heavy rains in the past week damaged homes, roads and other property along rivers. Officials say cleaning up and adding up the damage could take weeks. Two deaths being blamed on the storms.

Here's an L.A. story we've heard before, police caught on tape apparently beating a suspect. The FBI is now getting involved. Marty Johnson, from our affiliate KTLA, with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTY JOHNNSON, REPORTER, KTLA TV: ... are shocking. Two LAPD officers, on top of a suspect pinned on the ground, one with his knee on the man's neck punching his face. Arlen Pacheco shot the video on August 11 and says the suspect didn't have a chance.

ARLEN PACHECO, VIDEO TAPED BEATING: They had him pinned to the ground. This gentleman is screaming "I can't breathe," while the officer is beating him in the face.

JOHNSON: The suspect, identified as 23-year-old William Cardinas, wanted on a felony warrant, he was treated at a local hospital and charged with two counts of felony resisting arrest. But the actions of the Hollywood Division officers involved, Alexander Shlegel (ph) on the left, and Patrick Ferrell, on the right, are now being investigated on their own.

CHIEF WILLIAM BRATTON, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPT.: There's no denying that the video is disturbing, but as to whether the actions of the officer were appropriate in light of what he was experiencing, the totality of circumstances, that's what the investigation will hopefully determine.

JOHNSON: LAPD is under a federal consent order monitoring allegations of police brutality because of past problems. Bratton says Schlegle (ph) and Farrell (ph) filed the required report, listing a level two non-life threatening use of force. After seeing the tape, their supervisor pulled them from field duty and upgraded the use of force. But that's not enough, according to Cardenas' attorney. KWAKU DUREN, CARDENAS' ATTORNEY: He was brutally assaulted. And his human rights, not just civil rights, his human rights were being violated.

JOHNSON: Duren will file civil charges on his client's behalf. But one judge has already seen the video and ruled the officer's actions part of a fight, refusing to drop charges against Cardenas. An LAPD source told me the suspect is a known gang member, a 10 percenter, so-called because he's among the most violent of L.A. criminals, with a record that includes both attempted murder and concealed weapons charges.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: That was Marty Johnson of our affiliate KTLA reporting.

(NEWSBREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Well, if you have store brand acetaminophen in your medicine chest, you may want to toss it. The pills might contain shards of metal.

CNN's Allan Chernoff with more on the recall.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The drug recall affects 11 million bottles of generic store-branded versions of the popular painkiller acetaminophen, stored at supermarkets and drug stores around the country. The generic drug manufacturer, Perrigo Company, found small pieces of metal in some caplets.

ERNIE SCHENK, PERRIGO COMPANY SPOKESMAN: Early this morning, Perrigo announced a voluntary recall of certain lots of our store- brand acetaminophen 500-milligram tablets.

CHERNOFF: Last month Perrigo noticed its tablet-making machines at this factory in Michigan were suddenly wearing down. To find out why, the company put 70 million caplets of acetaminophen through a metal detector and discovered 200 of them contained pieces of metal which Perrigo concluded came from raw material from an outside supplier. The metal was only found in caplets of 500-milligram doses.

(on camera): Perrigo is also offering refunds. There's a help line to call -- 877-546-0454. But there's no person for consumers to talk to there. It's a recording that tells you how to get a rebate through the mail.

CHERNOFF: Perrigo says it has no reports of illness and doesn't anticipate any. But the FDA says swallowing one of the affected caplets could cause an upset stomach and even small mall cuts in the throat or mouth.

DR. ROSHINI, RAKAPAKSA, GASTROENTEROLOGIST: If it's very small, the risk is really minimal of anything dangerous happening, but we do worry about any sharp object being swallowed because there's a potential of a tear occurring.

CHERNOFF: You can find a full list of the batch numbers affected and retailers that sell Perrigo-made acetaminophen at CNN.com.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: This recall has nothing to do with the Tylenol brand of Acetaminophen. Tylenol maker Johnson & Johnson says their pills are fine -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Coming up this morning, a National Guardsman answers the call of duty in Iraq at the expense, though, of his business back home. What the government is doing and is not doing to help.

Plus, Hollywood's newfound interest in Africa, as the starts turn their attention to the issues, moviemakers as well find an untapped source of material. Those stories and much more straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: On this Veterans Day eve, we all owe a debt to the men and women who are risking it all for us to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We may owe them, but what some of them owe when they come home hardly seems like gratitude.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN (voice-over): Bob Griffith is trying to rewire his financial life these days.

BOB GRIFFITH: Measure twice, do it only one time. Makes life so much simpler.

M. O'BRIEN: The electrical contractor and national staff sergeant was ready for the call of duty.

GRIFFITH: Anybody who says I was surprised to get called up, they're full of BS.

M. O'BRIEN: And he thought he was ready to keep his small business intact while he was gone.

M. O'BRIEN (on camera): Thought you had a good plan.

GRIFFITH: I thought I had a good plan.

M. O'BRIEN (voice-over): But while he was guarding terrorist suspects detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he says his customers stopped paying their bills.

(on camera): So what did you do? Did you shut it down? GRIFFITH: Had to. The stress was so much on my wife, I just told her, look, said shut it down, shut is down, shut it down. I'll pick up the pieces when I come back.

M. O'BRIEN (voice-over): By the time he came back, this decorated Vietnam veteran said he was $100,000 in the hole.

GRIFFITH: A lot of sympathy, but there nobody out there willing to help.

M. O'BRIEN (on camera): No safety net?

GRIFFITH: No safety net, absolutely zero, zilch, none.

M. O'BRIEN (voice-over): But the federal Small Business Administration does offer loans to self-employed vets in need. So far, 449 have applied for loans and 267 have been approved.

WILLIAM ELMORE, SBA'S VETERANS ADMINISTRATION DEVELOPMENT: A lot of these men and women are kind of reluctant to step up sometimes and ask for assistance. They tend to be self-sufficient, they're entrepreneurs, they're in the Reserves, they're warriors.

M. O'BRIEN: Bob Griffith got help from another veteran, Jerry Rovner, who is a mentor and partner for him and other vets. He says loans aren't the answer.

JERRY ROVNER, SELF-EMPLOYED VETERAN: It's a great program. The problem is it just puts the veteran deeper in debt. So what good is a loan when he can't pay off his existing debts when he comes out of the service.

ELMORE: Additional debt isn't always the answer, and all we can do is try to offer all the services and resources we have, and try to bring them in touch with, for example, our service corps of retired executives.

M. O'BRIEN: The SBA does offer plenty of advice for veterans with small businesses, how to write a business plan, pay the taxes, marketing and PR. All well and good, but not very much help for Bob Griffith as we drowned in debt.

GRIFFITH: Let's take care of the people who actually do something for the country, you know, is that too much to ask for?

M. O'BRIEN: All that said, he says he would go back without hesitation if he got the call yet again.

GRIFFITH: Because I'm a soldier. I'm a warrior. Been there, done that, to use that torrential expression, but it's true. I can't go down to the wall, for instance.

Soldiers are my responsibility, to make sure they're taken care of the best I can. As long as I can do something positive and keep them alive, that's why I'm there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Now, if you're a vet who needs help finding one of those disaster business loans or maybe just help with business information, how to run your business, check out these Web sites, sba.gov/reservists or /vets, a lot of information there, for before, during and after a deployment.

S. O'BRIEN: What does he need? I mean, he didn't really want sort of the basic advice of how to write a business plan obviously.

M. O'BRIEN: And he didn't want a handout either. You know what he would like, he'd like to make it easier for guys like him to qualify and perhaps get a leg up on government contracts. That would help out right there. That would be a good start for them. Just a little bit of a helping hand, not a handout. There's a little difference, subtle difference.

S. O'BRIEN: What is he going to do now?

M. O'BRIEN: Well, he's working his way out. He's down to $50,000 in debt. And slowly but surely he's making. You know, he's a resilient guy. If he gets another call, he's got problems.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, that was a nice spot.

M. O'BRIEN: Thanks.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(WEATHER REPORT)

Ahead this morning, a continent takes its star turn on the big screen. We'll take a look this morning at Hollywood's newfound interest in Africa.

And Microsoft's challenge to the iPod, looking to hook music lovers by sharing the wealth. Andy will explain as he minds your business straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Twenty-one years after the movie "Out of Africa" won seven Oscars, including best picture, a new film set in the African continent, is getting some awards buzz. The movie is called "Babel," and it stars Brad Pitt, and it's the latest Hollywood production to give Africa it's own starring role.

Here's CNN's Brooke Anderson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Madonna to Bono, Beyonce to Oprah. Suddenly the world's second-largest continent seems newly discovered on Hollywood's map. TIM ROBBINS, "CATCH A FIRE": I knew nothing about the African people, I knew nothing about their culture, or their journey or their oppression.

ANDERSON: Tim Robbins got schooled filming "Catch of Fire," just one of nine African-themed movies in the theater this season.

PROF. RICHARD PENA, COLUMBIA UNIV.: There's a major amount of international attention focused on some issue in Africa. But Africa has really become, I think, the backdrop for our conscience now.

ANDERSON: Stars like George Clooney are keeping Africa at the water cooler.

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: A lot of bad things are happening over here right now.

ANDERSON: Clips from his Sudan trip are on myspace.com.

CLOONEY: When you come back, you have a determination not to let that go away without talking about it.

ANDERSON: Danny Glover traveled to Timbuktu, Mali to shoot "Bamako."

GLOVER: Besides Darfur, there's Congo, Brazaville (ph). There's Chad. There's conflict in Nigeria.

ANDERSON: Such conflicts have moviemakers minding the land for projects in a different manner than the past.

PENA: "The African Queen" or "Out of Africa" were essentially the stories of white people in Africa. More and more I think there's a tendency to at least attempt to make films in which African voices come through.

ANDERSON: Local Moroccans brought authenticity to "Babel," which spent months shooting there.

"Babel's" Brad Pitt also produced the upcoming documentary "God Grew Tired of Us," a story of three Sudanese boys. Another doc, "Massai Rain Warriors" is in theaters, along with the critically hailed "The Last King of Scotland" about Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

"Back Home" is a new picture of the Rwandan genocide, recalling 2004's "Hotel Rwanda." That film and 2005's "The Constant Gardner" each grossed $20 million.

PENA: "Hotel Rwanda" and "Constant Gardener" have been successful at the box office. It obviously encourages other producers to also try it, because they feel there is an audience out there.

ANDERSON: That will be tested in December when the big budget movie "Blood Diamond" starting Leo DiCaprio, set in 1990s Sierra Leone the movie includes music from the country's Refugees All Stars. The bandmates who met in refugee camps after losing family members in the civil war, are also the subject of the documentary.

REUBEN KOROMA, SIERRA LEONE REFUGEE ALL STARS: People come to me and say, oh, we never knew about these things. They are surprised. But I'm happy that our story is able to expose some of the things that are hidden.

ANDERSON: Hidden no more.

Brooke Anderson, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Stories we're following for you right now, Katherine Harris, an election and recount. Not from 2000, but from 2006. Why Florida is having flashbacks this morning.

Plus, the latest on those deadly floods in Washington State, another west forecast heading that way.

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